The invention relates to a tool mounting device, in particular for tools of robots or manipulators.
Robots which are used for various automatable processing and handling processes are frequently used on automated production lines. Various robots with different types of tools are thereby used, such as for example welding tongs, adhesive guns, riveting tongs or retaining means, such as for example suction cups or clamps.
A critical factor in operation of those production lines resides in the fact that the goods to be processed such as for example automobile bodies, arrive and depart at a constant speed, which causes problems in particular if a robot has completed its operating step very much more rapidly than another robot at a different position within the production line. For this reason, the connection of robots to different exchangeable tools has been adopted, the tools being mounted at a position which is accessible for the robot. Thus it is for example possible to equip a robot in a first step with welding tongs and with a retaining device for a subsequent assembly step. In this way, the individual stations of the production line can be operated efficiently.
Basically, the robot and the tool are connected to each other by means of a coupling device. The tool coupled firstly to the robot is thereby laid down at one position and the new tool is picked up, coupled and the operating step to be performed is implemented. Known tool mounting devices of tool changing devices of this type are often disposed adjacently in order to form a tool station or tool magazine.
Although the robots can already be actuated relatively accurately, a tolerance range of a few millimeters still exists by which the actual position of the robot can deviate from the desired position. This is a problem when picking up or laying down tools in a tool station or in a tool mounting device since the coupling mechanisms on the tool mounting devices can wear rapidly if the tool mounting device has no mounting device for passive or active readjustment of the position of the tool.
The utility model document DE 202 08 059 U1 shows a tool mounting with a first coupling device which can be connected to at least one tool, in particular a robot tool, and a second coupling device which can be connected to a rigid base, the at least one first coupling device having a tool suspension with at least one recess and one receiving means and the second coupling device including a tool receiving plate, a base plate, at least one locating bolt and a mounting device. In addition, the receiving means of the first coupling device can be connected axially to the locating bolt of the second coupling device so that a tool secured on the first coupling device can be picked up by the robot. The disadvantage of the tool mounting device shown there is the great complexity of the coupling devices shown there and also the approach path of a robot which is necessary for this purpose with a small tolerance range.